quotes from LJ

Not a lot to write tonight. I spent a good deal of time reading (and some writing) on BB today, more time reading articles, and then class in TI. The TI session was wonderful, I especially enjoyed the discussion about identity and how it impacts learning and vise versa.

Now - a couple of quotes from the LJ Buddhists community that I want to think about and maybe blog about later.

From 'nobody': "If I wait until I'm perfect to speak, I never will."

Now - compare that to the old saying "Remaining silent and being thought a fool is better than opening your mouth and removing all doubt." Where is the middle path between these two views?

And... sort of related ... but not directly... from karmatic_quest *actually from a book that kq read... "If we want to take away the differences that we have as human beings and build a global Sangha.. then we must learn to embrace them, not feel that we have to defend them."

and... finally...

One day, a Sutra Master came and he questioned Zen Master Dae-Ju. “I understand that you have attained Satori. What is Zen?’’

Dae-Ju said, “Zen is very easy. It is not difficult at all. When I am hungry, I eat; when I am tired, I sleep.’’

The Sutra Master said, “This is doing the same as all people do. Attaining Satori and not attaining are then the same.’’

"No, no, people on the outside and on the inside are different.''

The Sutra Master said, ''When I am hungry, I eat. When I am tired, I sleep. Why is the outside different from the inside?"

Dae-Ju said, "When people are hungry, they eat. Only the outside, the body, is eating. On the inside, they are thinking, and they have desire for money, fame, sex, food, and they feel anger. And so when they are tired, because of these wants, they do not sleep. So, the outside and the inside are different. But when I am hungry, I only eat. When I am tired, I only sleep. I have no thinking, and so I have no inside and no outside.''